Director, HBCU/MI Program and Outreach, Department of Defense
Evelyn Kent serves in several capacities within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering where she provides technical support to the deputy director for Research, Technology and Laboratories. She is the Department of Defense (DoD) program director for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program. In this capacity, she oversees the HBCU/MI Programs, which include Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSI), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and other underrepresented minority communities. These program funds support basic research, equipment and instrumentation upgrades, graduate fellowships, scholarships, research and education centers, and other activities focused on attracting underrepresented minorities to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines important to the DoD national security mission.
Kent represents the DoD on the White House Initiatives Executive Orders for HBCUs and MIs. Her career spans over 40 years of government service in the information technology, weapon systems acquisition, international affairs, environmental life sciences, and the command, control and intelligence environment.
Kent holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Southern University Baton Rouge and a master of science degree in acquisitions administration from Central Michigan University. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute Leadership Program in Charlottesville, VA. Kent is the recipient of the Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award. Her awards also include the 2012 Women of Color STEM Career Achievement award.